Draft attachment for railway cars



June 3, 1941.

G. T. JOHNSON DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed March 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm 6.77c707an60w, 1

June 3, 1941. e. T. JOHNSON 2,244,200

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed March 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 h T :l.

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Patented June 3, 1941 ante DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS George T. Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The. Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Go-

lumbus, Ohio Original application March 3, 1938, Serial No. 193,783. Divided and this application April 28, 1939, Serial No. 270,687

3 Claims. (01. 105-4420) This invention relates to improvements in draft attachments for railway cars and the like, and the present application is a division of my application Serial No. 193,783, filed March 3, 1938.

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide a draft attachment structure having a considerable saving in weight over the conventional riveted constructions, either in grade B steel or high tensile steel.

Another object is to furnish a draft attachment which eliminates plates heretofore employed, and thereby not only reduces weight, but economizes on the time and cost of welding.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of one form of my draft attachment, partially in horizontal section.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional-view taken along the center line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, but illustrating a modification.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 1 designates the center draft sills which include vertical walls 3 having inwardly extending top flanges 9 and outwardly extending bottom flanges It; the top flanges of the two sills being secured together by suitable means such as welded joints I I.

My improvements are illustrated in connection with an A. A. R. alternate standard swivel shank coupler I2 and swivel yoke assembly I3, and includes lightweight draft castings which are attached to the draft sills by welding or the equivalent thereof.

Each of the front lug castings 42, in accordance with the present invention, is provided with a horizontal substantially U-shaped flange 43 which projects laterally through a substantially elliptical key slot M in one of the walls 8, and is welded at one end, as indicated at E5 and 46 to the opposite sides of said wall. Each casting has a substantially rectangular skeletal end portion, and the opposite end of said flange merges into the medial part of said skeletal portion. Each skeletal portion is arranged between the walls 8 and secured to the inner side of one wall by welded joints 41. The skeletal portion has a vertical rib 42a at one end thereof, forming a front draft lug, and the ends of the rib are integral with horizontal ribs 42b which merge into vertical ties 420 that connect them to the medial portion of the flange 43.

The draft sills are notched at the lower portion of their ends, as indicated at 43, to accommodate and form an abutment for the ends of the coupler carrier 49 of the striker casting 53. Each side of the latter is substantially L-shaped in cross section and has a front laterally extending wing 50a that abutsagainst an end of one of the walls 8 and is secured thereto by welding, as in dicated at 50b. The other wing Etc extends longitudinally of the center sills and snugly engages the inner 'surfaceof the side wall 8. The striker is designed to extend between the walls 8 and is so arranged that a minimum of shearing or notching is required. s

It will be noted that the top flanges E3 of the center sills extend outwardly and abut against the front top flange 5| of the striker, as indicated at 52 so that these portions of the sills overlie-a rearwardly and upwardly extending top rib 53 of the striker. Welded joints 54 are also employed in securing the striker in position.

To fabricate the arrangement described, the front draft lug castings 42 are first positioned with reference to the ends of the sills l, and welded into position. The two sides of the center sill are then intermittently welded along the top center line as indicated atl I. Finally the striker is attached Icy-Welding.

The arrangement andconstruction shown in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive are similar to that illustrated in connection with Figs. 1 to 3, with the. following principal differences.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, the top of the striker 50a is of substan tially L-shape in section. Therefore, the draft sills do not have to be notched, as the top flange 53a is horizontally disposed, and is positioned below the top flanges 9a of the sills. Its edge is welded to the flanges to as indicated at 55a. The side flanges 53b of the striker are arranged in parallel vertical planes, and they fit within the walls 8a of the sills. These flanges are welded in place as shown at 53d.

In this modified construction, the sills do not have to be notched at all, and the only punching operation in the sills will be at the key slots Ma.

In this form of the invention it will be observed that the front ends of the front draft lug castings are in vertical planes as shown at 72. In other words, the front ends are square so as to abut against the rear edges of the sides 53b of the striker 50a. This construction relieves the welds 62 at these points of strain clue to forces acting on the draft lugs at 63. It will be noted in this construction that the flanges 64 are of elliptical form and extend completely around the key slots in order to properly position the front draft lugs.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of my invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art,

and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway car draft structure of the type comprising a center sill structure having spaced side walls and abutting top flanges, a striker casting secured to one end of the center sill structure and having a top inwardly projecting flange extending along and welded to the top flanges of the sill structure and sides abutting the ends of said side walls, and a pair of front draft lug castings secured to said side walls, the improvements comprising vertical flanges integral with the sides of the striker casting and snugly engaging the inner surface of said side walls, each of said front lug castings having slotted flanged portionsextending through slots in the walls and welded to said walls, each of said pair of castings having substantially rectangular skeletal walls integral with one end of its slotted flange portion and extending upwardly and downwardly from such flange portion, the walls of each pair of castings being arranged at the walls of the sills and secured to one of the sill walls by welding, one end of each casting of said pair forming a front draft lug, and each of said front lug castings having a vertical tie integral with the medial portion of the slotted flange portion of the casting.

2. In a railway car draft structure of the type comprising a center sill structure having spaced side walls and abutting top flanges, a striker casting secured to one end of the center sill structure and having a top inwardly projecting flange extending along and welded to the top flanges of the sill structure and sides abutting the ends of said side walls, and a pair of front draft lug castings secured to said side walls, the improvements comprising vertical flanges intogral with the sides of the striker casting and snugly engaging the inner surface of said side walls, each of said front lug castings having slotted flanged portions extending through slots in the walls and welded to said walls, each of said pair of castings having substantially rectangular skeletal walls integral with one end of its slotted flange portion and extending upwardly and downwardly from such flange portion, the walls of each pair of castings being arranged at the walls of the sills and secured to one of the sill walls by welding, one end of each casting of said pair forming a front draft lug, and each of said front lug castings having a tie integral with the medial portion of the slotted flange portion of the casting, oneend of each of the slotted portions of the front draft lug castings abutting i against the flange of the side of said striker castmg. a

3. In a railway car draft structure of the type comprising a center sill structure having spaced side Walls and abutting top flanges, a striker casting secured to one end of the center sill structure and having a top inwardly projecting flange extending along and welded to the top flanges of the sill structure and sides abutting the ends of said side walls, and a pair of front draft lug castings secured to said side walls, the improvements comprising vertical flanges integral with the sides of the striker casting and snugly engaging the inner surface of said side walls, each of said front lug castings having slotted flanged portions extending through slots in the walls and welded to said walls, each of said pair of castings having substantially rectangular skeletal walls integral with one end of its slotted flange portion and extending upwardly and downwardly from such flange portion, the walls of each pair of castings being arranged at the walls of the sills and. secured to one of the sill walls by welding, one end of each casting of said pair forming a front draft lug, and each of said front lug castings having a tie integral with the medial portion of the slotted flange portion of the casting, the center sill structure being notched at the lower portion of one end thereof, and the striker having portions extending into said notches and abutting against the ends of the side walls of the center sill structure.

GEORGE T. JOHNSON. 

